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I never said churches should be dismantled -Peter Obi
By Gloria Ikibah
The Labour Party leader, Peter Obi, has responded to what he described as a “mischievous distortion” of his recent statements on religion and productivity.
The clarification follows reactions to Obi’s recent interview, which some headlines falsely suggested called for the “dismantling of churches” in Nigeria.
According to a statement by the Spokesperson Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), Ibrahim Umar, this misrepresentation “greatly overturned and grossly distorted” the true message Obi intended to convey.
Umar emphasized that Obi, known for his strong faith and respect for all religions, sought to address how Nigerians could make religion more effective in their daily lives. In the interview, Obi highlighted the biblical teaching that “faith without works is unhelpful,” referencing Apostle James’ words in the Bible (James 2:14 and James 2:24). His point, they said, was to encourage Nigerians to balance worship with productive work.
“When Obi said that he would turn night vigil into a production night, he was only stressing the importance of worshipping God through work,” the statement read.
Obi’s office explained that he meant night vigils should not replace productive effort, aligning with his message of turning Nigeria “from consumption to production.”
POMR cited more biblical references to support Obi’s view on the need for work, including Proverbs 14:23, which states, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” The statement added that in the Bible, Jesus chose his disciples from among working individuals, such as fishermen and tax collectors, rather than those who were idle.
Obi’s media team stated that his comment that “politics and church… have to be dismantled” was a call for change in worship practices that encourage a productive mindset while maintaining faith. His other statement, “We are going to turn night vigil into night shift so that people can be productive,” was intended to inspire Nigerians to see work as a form of worship.
Umar therefore urged the public to disregard the “mischievous” headlines and understand Obi’s message as one that seeks to build a productive society.
“OBI’S message should resonate properly away from the intention of mischief makers,” Umar stated, reinforcing Obi’s campaign promise to drive Nigeria towards a more production-focused future.
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Govt official arrested for 400 s3xtapes with president’s sister, ministers’ wives, others
By Kayode Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, has been arrested for allegedly recording over 400 sextapes of women, including the sister of the country’s president.
The sextapes were recovered from Engonga’s house and office following a raid by ANIF officials who carried out the operation in a fraud investigation against the 54-year-old economist.
The ANIF officials were said to have come across several CDs that later showed Engonga’s sexcapades with different married women.
The videos, according to a local media platform, Ahora EG, include encounters with high-profile individuals, including Engonga’s brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of the President of Equatorial Guinea, the Director General of Police’s wife, and about 20 of the country’s ministers’ wives, among others.
The video discovered in his office was said to have been recorded with consent and has since been leaked online.
In a report by a local media platform, Ahora EG, since last October, Engonga has been involved in a sexual scandal unprecedented in the history of Equatorial Guinea.
Ahora EG stated: “The most striking thing is that some scenes took place in his work office, including moments in which he is seen sleeping with a woman next to the National Flag. Based on this sexual scandal, the Executive has stated that the measure is a direct response to the acts that have affected the image of the country.
“With these new measures, the Government hopes to establish a clear precedent on the expected conduct of public officials in order to create a more respectful work environment in the public and private administration of Equatorial Guinea. For days now, erotic videos have been circulating on social media featuring Baltasar EBANG ENGONGA, better known as ‘Bello’.
“Baltasar EBANG ENGONGA is said to have filmed these scenes with the consent of the women themselves, which exonerates him from a possible crime of violation of integrity. In the videos, he is seen having unprotected sex with several women, including those married to powerful and well-known people in the country, but also with the most “diva and influential” single women in Equatorial Guinea. Some scenes take place in hotel rooms, houses, even in the protagonist’s office at the Ministry of Finance,” it added.
Speaking on the viral sextapes, the Attorney General of Equatorial Guinea, Nzang Nguema, said although the videos suggest that the women involved were not forced to participate, the law does not consider consensual sexual relations to be a crime, unless coercion or violence is proven.
“The possibility of a contagious disease being spread through these sexual interactions makes the situation even more critical,” Nguema added.
Reacting to the development on Monday, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Nguema Mangue, said Engonga’s behaviours violated the country’s Code of Conduct and the Public Ethics Law.
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